Exam 3 Spring 2013 old test

Question 1

the general downhill movement of rock, soil, or unconsolidated materials under the influence of gravity

Answer 1

mass wasting

Question 2

Permeability is the

Answer 2

ability of a solid to allow fluids to pass through

Question 3

when looking at a coastal mountain range which area receives the most rain

Answer 3

the mountainside closest to the ocean

Question 4

in a sand dune in a river, _____ occurs on the upstream side of the dune and ____ occurs on the downstream side of the dune

Answer 4

erosion; deposition

Question 5

karst topography

Answer 5

does not have a normal river drainage system; forms in regions where subsurface limestone is dissolved by groundwater; contains sinkholes

Question 6

when a meandering river has a portion of its stream cut off forming a horseshoe shaped lake

Answer 6

oxbow lake

Question 7

as the velocity of a stream current increases

Answer 7

more of the bed material is in motion

Question 8

What is the most common natural acid on the Earth’s surface?

Answer 8

carbonic acid

Question 9

in the unsaturated zone, pore spaces in the soil and rock contain

Answer 9

air and water

Question 10

in what type of rock do most caves form

Answer 10

limestone

Question 11

where do deltas form

Answer 11

at river mouths

Question 12

after oceans, which of the following reservoirs contains the most water

Answer 12

the glaciers and polar ice caps

Question 13

which of the following grain sizes would a stream easily move while wind could not

Answer 13

pebble

Question 14

what type of aquifer is bounded above and below by relatively impermeable beds

Answer 14

confined

Question 15

long wavy sand ridges that lie perpendicular to the prevailing wind are called

Answer 15

transverse dunes

Question 16

what type of drainage pattern is random

Answer 16

dendritic

Question 17

what is a true statement about stream terraces

Answer 17

terraces are composed of floodplain deposits and form as a result of rapid uplift

Question 18

which of the following minerals is most stable at the Earth’s surface

Answer 18

hematite (Fe2O3)

Question 19

describes the total sediment load carried by a stream

Answer 19

capacity

Question 20

which of the following is considered part of a stream’s bed load

Answer 20

gravel sliding along the bottom

Question 21

which of the following minerals will have the greatest chemical stability

Answer 21

a mineral with low solubility and a low rate of dissolution

Question 22

represents the boundary between the saturated zone and the unsaturated zone

Answer 22

groundwater table

Question 23

the process by which surface water becomes groundwater

Answer 23

infiltration

Question 24

what information do geologists use to estimate speeds of ancient rivers

Answer 24

grain size

Question 25

which of the following processes only occurs in permafrost regions

Answer 25

solifluction

Question 26

_____ is the infiltration of water into the saturated zone, and _____ is the exit of groundwater to the surface

Answer 26

recharge | discharge

Question 27

geysers have ______ than regular hot springs

Answer 27

more irregular plumbing systems

Question 28

which of the following slopes of unconsolidated material will be the least stable

Answer 28

a slope greater than the angle of repose

Question 29

a curved, coarse-grained deposit that forms on the inside curve of a stream

Answer 29

point bar

Question 30

describes the shape of the longitudinal profile of a stream

Answer 30

a concave upward curve

Question 31

in which of the following locations would one most likely find a braided stream

Answer 31

at the edge of a melting glacier

Question 32

which of the following has the steepest angle of repose

Answer 32

damp sand

Question 33

an imaginary line below which a stream cannot erode is called

Answer 33

base level

Question 34

as one goes deeper in the earth's crust

Answer 34

the porosity decreases and the concentration of dissolved minerals increases

Question 35

if the amount of discharge in an aquifer exceeds the amount of recharge, the groundwater table

Answer 35

will drop

Question 36

which of the following conditions make for the bet groundwater reservoir

Answer 36

high permeability and high porosity

Question 37

the region underneath the water table line is called the

Answer 37

saturated zone

Question 38

the region above the water table line is called the

Answer 38

unsaturated zone

Question 39

the lowering of the water table near the well is called a

Answer 39

cone of depression

Question 40

what type of sandstone will have the lowest porosity

Answer 40

a poorly sorted, cemented sandstone

Question 41

according to Darcy's law, what kind of aquifer will have the greatest rate of groundwater flow

Answer 41

an aquifer with high hydraulic conductivity and a high hydraulic gradient

Question 42

suspended load includes all material

Answer 42

temporarily or permanently suspended in the flow

Question 43

in what class of mass movement does the material move as if it were in a fluid

Answer 43

flows

Question 44

what is the discharge of a stream that is one meter deep, two meters wide, and has a water flow of five meters per second

Answer 44

10 m^3/sec

Question 45

is the process whereby sand grains jump along the streambed during transport

Answer 45

saltation

Question 46

layers that transmit groundwater are called

Answer 46

aquifers

Question 47

in which of the following climates will chemical weathering be the slowest

Answer 47

cold and dry

Question 48

physical weathering is greatest at

Answer 48

high latitudes

Question 49

what type of environment yields quartz sand grains that are rounded and frosted

Answer 49

an eolian (desert) environment

Question 50

large, cone-shaped deposits of sediment at a mountain front are called

Answer 50

alluvial fans

Question 51

what powers the hydrologic cycle

Answer 51

solar energy

Question 52

curves and bends in a stream channel are called

Answer 52

meanders

Question 53

on a delta, smaller, multiple channels that branch off downstream are called

Answer 53

distributaries

Question 54

the topographic rise that distinguishes two watersheds from one another is called a

Answer 54

divide

Question 55

what type of drainage network would you expect to find on a volcano

Answer 55

radial drainage

Question 56

soil type associated with rain forests and categorized by intense leaching of soil components

Answer 56

laterite

Question 57

broad category of soil associated with a dry climate

Answer 57

pedocal

Question 58

mechanical weathering process caused unloading as rocks expand when overlying rock layers are eroded away

Answer 58

exfoliation

Question 59

soil horizon consisting of weathered mineral matter mixed with with some humus

Answer 59

A horizon

Question 60

soil horizon consisting of loose and partly decayed organic matter

Answer 60

O horizon

Question 61

soil horizon that consists of partially altered parent material

Answer 61

C horizon

Question 62

mechanical weathering process caused by freeze-thaw cycles of water in cracks

Answer 62

frost wedging

Question 63

calite (CaCO3) a major component of limestone chemically weathers by this process

Answer 63

dissolution

Question 64

feldspar (KAlSi3O8) chemically weathers by this process

Answer 64

hydrolysis

Question 65

broad category of soil associated with a moist temperate climate

Answer 65

pedalfer

Question 66

quartz (SiO2) chemically weathers by this process

Answer 66

dissolution

Question 67

soil zone of accumulation (mostly transported clays) also known as subsoil

Answer 67

B horizon

Question 68

pyroxene (FeSiO3) chemically weathers by this process

Answer 68

oxidation